INSEP defeated Fenerbahce Ulker on Friday's second game of the 2011 Euroleague Basketball Nike International Junior Tournament, beating the Turkish squad 68-80. The result opens the possibility of an exciting triple tie atop Group A. Livio Jean-Charles paced the winners with 21 points and 13 boards, while Hugo Invernizzi and Anthony Racine added 18 and 16, respectively. Fenerbahce fought until the end, but could not overcome an 11-29 first-quarter deficit. Kerem Hotic led the Turkish squad with 20 points, while James Birsen added 13 and Berkay Candan another 12.

Clearly motivated by Thursday's loss to KK Zagreb, INSEP came out at full-speed, taking a 13-0 lead after only 3 minutes of play. The Turkish side answered with its first points from the line after the break, and tried to assert itself in the paint and on transition. But Jean-Charles responded with a three-point play at the other end and INSEP kept the foot on the gas, securing a second quarter lead at 11-29.

An aggressive zone defense allowed the Turkish team to force some turnovers from INSEP's backcourt and get the fast break going, while Nuri Gul Guney worked to establish an offensive presence. Candan narrowed the difference to 10 points with a corner three-pointer, although Invernizzi was quick to respond in kind to make it 19-32. Better ball movement on the French side counteracted Fenerbahce's press, but Fenerbahce won the quarter, 19-16, reaching the half down by 30-45.

Again INSEP seemed fresher after the break, imposing a frantic rhythm at both ends and relentlessly attacking the basket, gaining a 40-60 lead midway through the third quarter. Fenerbache labored to get shots off in the paint with Guney and Bugra Guler, but Erbil Eroglu finally hit a long-range bomb, followed by a three-point play by Hotic and a basket by Candan, which cut the lead to 50-65. But INSEP kept its poise, reaching the final period in the driver's seat, 51-67.

In the fourth quarter, Candan and Eroglu willed themselves to the rim to keep their team within distance, down 58-70 with 5 minutes left in the game. Fenerbahce briefly cut the lead to single digits, but a three by Ulysse Adjagba and breakaway dunk by Mouhammad Jaiteh with 1:36 made it a 65-77 difference in favor of INSEP, thus ending all hopes of a comeback for Fenerbahce.